teamLab on crafting fantastical digital worlds
The art collective equate themselves to a group of scientists carrying out an experiment. Here, they explain how they bring their interactive artworks to life, and why digital art can bring people together in a way that traditional art often can’t
It’s not difficult to spot the handiwork of teamLab when you come across it; the art collective has become well known for its mesmerising, mutating digital artworks. Since founding in 2001, its artists have crafted everything from magical forests filled with huge hovering egg-like shapes to high-tech waterfalls that respond to human touch, which have been displayed in galleries around the world.
But beyond teamLab’s reputation for intriguing visuals and immersive experiences, it can be tricky to pin down exactly what they do. The collective was originally formed by a former engineering student called Toshiyuki Inoko and several of his friends, who envisioned it as a ‘lab’ for co-creative activities.
